Wednesday, 27 November 2013

There is a hive of activity over at Wildfowl Way at the moment, where Roger and Graham are busy updating some of the enclosures!The Peacocks are having an extension to give them even more space to explore, whilst lots of the other aviaries are being dismantled to make way for some new larger open exhibits!

Friday, 15 November 2013

‘Animals terrified by fireworks ordeal’ – our story has made the local paper:A letter also in the paper from Kirsten Pullen, CEO British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, London:If you agree that fireworks should not be set off in areas close to zoological and animal collections, you can help by signing this online petition:http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56582

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Please sign the epetition to stop fireworks being let off next to Wildlife Parks. Our animals had to endure a weekend of fireworks being let off from Friday 1st November from 2.20pm through the evening and then started again on Saturday 2nd November from noon through to 11.20pm at night. This was a prolonged, systematic drip feed of loud explosions and bangs which terrorised our birds and animals. The ePetition is now live online and available to sign, could everyone please share? http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56582

See our Face book page dippyseaview for the full story. Please help us to stop this from ever happening again – it was truly terrifying for all concerned.The Team at Seaview.

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

This afternoon I had been invited for tea by my friend Sidney the seagull, who lived in the white cliffs at Freshwater Bay with his family. His wife had said she would make some seaweed and raisin scones which I was looking forward to eating very much with lots of fresh cream and strawberry jam.

When I arrived the young seagulls were playing on the pebbled beach and Sidney was busy catching fish from the sea for their meal that evening. Mrs. Seagull invited me in and offered me a cup of tea. They had a wonderful home, it wasn’t too high up in the cliff so I could just about climb up to it, carefully and slowly taking one step at a time up to the small circular doorway.

Inside the walls were decorated with carved out pictures all done by the young seagulls of the family. They had used sharp rocks and stones to create beautiful drawings which were then finished with tiny coloured shells.

After eating rather a lot of Mrs. Seagulls scones, and feeling very full indeed, Sidney began to tell me about a game he and his family liked to play on days like these. He explained the weather conditions were just right, the sun was shining high in the sky peeping in and out of huge white fluffy clouds and then every now and again a grey cloud would pass and a shower of rain would pour down.

The game was to make a rainbow, it was such a magical idea I jumped up out of my seat and said with delight how much I would like to join in !! Mrs. Seagull brought out a large black cauldron from under the kitchen sink and the young seagulls each held a wooden spoon in their wings. Sidney lined up seven jam jars in a row on the wooden table, these were filled with different colours of shimmering dust. In each jar the dust sparkled and seemed to have a magical halo around it. Sidney then emptied the glittering dust into the cauldron and as he did, tiny twinkling stars rose up from within and then floated in the air above our heads, some floated out through the door, outside onto the bay.

Mrs. Seagull read aloud a spell written inside a large leather bound book whilst each of the young seagulls gave the potion a little stir. She explained the spell would take a few minutes to work, and that we were best to go up to the cliff above the bay overlooking Mermaid Rock to get the best view of the magic.

The young seagulls flew up there whilst I waddled up to the top of the bay. Sidney and Mrs. Seagull carried the cauldron together, each holding the handle with one wing. Once they had arrived at the top they flew up into the clouds and scattered the magic dust into the air. The young seagulls sat very still all perched on the edge of a bench gazing up into the sky with their wings crossed behind their backs for good luck !

Then it happened, the clouds opened and the sun beamed through, a shower of soft rain sprinkled down and landed gently upon our faces as we gazed up at this wonderous site. The spell had not only worked well but something happened that Sidney explained he had never been seen before – it was a double rainbow !!!

Mrs. Seagull very kindly took a photo for me as I stood under this amazing sight with a huge smile upon my face. I could not wait to tell my penguin friends about this magical time I had had, I thanked the seagull family for a delightful afternoon and sped on home with my photograph held tightly in my flippers.